WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the Senate floor this morning, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell asked for consent to proceed to his legislation, The Coal Country Protection Act, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid objected.

Click on photo below to view the video:
 

Senator McConnell’s legislation is supported by the Kentucky Coal Association (KCA). "The EPA’s proposed regulation on existing power plants is only going to add to the economic challenges facing Kentucky—especially in Eastern Kentucky, which is 'Ground Zero' for what's happening to our coal industry,” said Bill Bissett, President of KCA.  “We believe these proposed regulations will not only cause Kentucky’s electricity rates to skyrocket, but it will also harm the reliability of our electricity supply across the United States. The Kentucky Coal Association fully supports and appreciates Senator McConnell’s Coal Country Protection Act, which will make the Obama Administration and the EPA face the truth of what this regulation is going to do to American families, the coal industry  and U.S. electricity production."

WATCH SENATOR McCONNELL’s FULL SPEECH HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding the Coal Country Protection Act:

“President Obama’s new energy regulations would ship Middle Class jobs overseas, splinter our manufacturing base, and boost energy costs for struggling families.

“The regulations could also lead to a reduction of nearly a half million jobs, according to an AFL-CIO union estimate. The union’s leader characterized the job loss as ‘long-term and irreversible.’ He noted that the President’s regulations would not achieve ‘any significant reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions.’ In other words, lots of pain for minimal gain.

“The President’s energy regulations would hurt the poor, the unemployed, seniors, and especially families in Kentucky.

“Kentucky coal-sector employment has collapsed by 7,000 jobs since President Obama took office. Eastern Kentucky just saw a 3-percent reduction in coal jobs in the first quarter of 2014.  At least three additional Kentuckians lose their paychecks indirectly for every mining job that’s lost.
“As one coal leader noted, the Administration’s proposed regulations would only ‘add to the economic challenges facing Kentucky — especially in Eastern Kentucky, which is 'Ground Zero' for what's happening’ in Coal Country.

“The Coal Country Protection Act is co-sponsored by several Senators, including Rand Paul, and is supported by the Kentucky Coal Association.

“It would require that simple but important benchmarks be met before the President’s new rules could take effect:

• Number one, the Secretary of Labor would have to certify that the regulations would not generate a loss of employment.
• Number two, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office would have to certify that the regulations would not result in any loss in American gross domestic product.
• Number three, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration would have to certify that the regulations would not increase electricity rates.
• And number four, the Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the President of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation would have to certify that electricity delivery would remain reliable.

“So the Coal Country Protection Act is just common sense.

“Opposing this bill, or blocking its consideration, means you must believe that the President’s rules will cause job loss, or utility rate hikes, or brownouts.

“The President’s regulations will increase electricity prices and create job loss.

“Opponents of this bill would be supporting job loss in Kentucky, our economy being hurt, and seniors’ energy bills spiking – for almost zero meaningful global carbon reduction.

“So the Majority Leader and his Democrat colleagues need to listen.

“And even if they won’t, Kentuckians should know this: I won’t stop fighting for them.”